Recently we welcomed some lovely new faces to the Basking Babies family. Our newest members have completed their training and have taught their first classes. We cannot wait to see what the coming months have in store for them.
To celebrate, we are shining a light on their training journey, offering a unique insight into what to expect when you decide to join the Basking Babies team, as well as what inspired each of their journeys to get there.
The inspiration
Alex recently took over the running of Basking Babies Southend-on-Sea after enjoying a course with her daughter – ‘I wanted to work to be able to help support my family, all while having the flexibility to be around for them as much as possible.’
This is a common theme with our franchisees – the desire to have a successful and rewarding career while fitting work around family life. Basking Babies Brentwood & Billericay’s Natalie says, ‘I wanted a job that genuinely worked around the needs of me and my family. I had also always wanted to work for myself but the thought of going it alone was too daunting, so a franchise was the perfect next step for me!’
On top of that, our instructors all genuinely love what they do. Carla from Basking Babies Braintree, Coggeshall & Halstead decided to join the team when her baby was just weeks old because she ‘fell in love with the magic of Basking Babies’ after taking her own daughter to classes. ‘I knew immediately that I HAD to be involved!’ Kerry, Franchise Owner & Instructor for Basking Babies Epping also ‘fell in love’ with the classes after attending a course which helped her to bond and connect with her little one. Kerry then decided she wanted to give other mums that same experience.
Chantelle is our first ever franchisee outside of Essex and will be bringing Basking Babies to Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire this year. Her decision to become a franchise owner also came from her own experiences as a new mum with Basking Babies – ‘classes were a safe space to share all my mummy experiences that week, to make friends and interact with other new mamas, to finish a coffee while still hot and of course to learn the magic of baby massage treatments… I wanted to do something I enjoy around my most important role of being a Mummy and give back to mums and babies what Basking Babies gave to us.’
For all five of these incredible women and mums, Basking Babies was the right fit.
Training with us
On first joining the team our franchisees attend a comprehensive training course, usually over several weekend days. This includes time spent learning the practical and theoretical aspects of our courses, from baby massage and baby reflexology to baby yoga, and all of our additional classes alongside. As part of this training package, we give our new recruits a day of business training and a day covering our franchise support systems. It is busy schedule and requires hard work and commitment, but all our franchisees agree that it is worth it.
For Alex, ‘an average Basking Babies training day is busy but informative. There is lots to learn, and lots to share (including chocolate and cake!) I enjoyed connecting with others, sharing ideas, thoughts, and concerns. We were all in the same boat and had lots of questions! Plus, I particularly enjoyed the massage training as it brought back lots of memories of the massage classes that I attended with my daughter, Eleanor.’
Carla agreed that, ‘the training days were brilliant, tiring but brilliant! I always came away buzzing with ideas and so proud of what I was achieving! I absolutely loved learning about the history of baby massage and baby reflexology. It made me really think about how we parent in the western world compared to other cultures, and it definitely opened my eyes to the beauty and benefits of holistic practices.’
Kerry also loved learning about the ‘history of baby massage and baby yoga and all the positive benefits for both mum and baby’, while meeting other women taking the same steps which she found ‘empowering’, something which lies at the heart of everything we do at Basking Babies.
Chantelle particularly enjoyed the ‘fun, informative learning’, ability to ‘get stuck in and demonstrate what you’ve learnt as you go’, while building bonds and enjoying lots of ‘chats and giggles’ with her training buddies. She really felt she came away with ‘the required knowledge and tools to make my franchise a success.’ Natalie also found that the training days included a good mix of practical and theory-based learning, giving her the ‘confidence to teach straight away!’ She felt comfortable enough in the sessions to ask questions ‘whenever they popped into my head’ and found the support on running her own business invaluable.
It doesn’t stop once initial training is completed either. When you become a franchisee, you will have additional training throughout the year, as well as regular team meetings and activities, so that you can continue to grow and expand your knowledge.
Ongoing support
Following training, our franchisees receive their Basking Babies Baby Massage and Baby Yoga qualifications. They are then assigned an experienced franchisee mentor, dedicated to supporting them and answering their questions in those first months of joining the team. On top of that, they are welcomed into our amazing and supportive franchisee Facebook group.
When asked what they would say to anyone considering joining the next franchisee training course, ‘do it!’, ‘don’t hesitate’ and ‘you won’t regret it’ were the unanimous responses. Chantelle said it is the ‘best thing I did! When becoming a franchise owner or indeed an instructor, you become part of a family with endless support.’
Carla too is thrilled that, ‘I now get to plan my career around my beautiful daughter, I’ve met some incredible women that I’m privileged to call friends. It was without a doubt one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and it could be for you too!’ Natalie agrees that it is ‘a great opportunity to join a supportive network of women who are genuinely family-focussed.’
For Kerry, Basking Babies has the best of all worlds – ‘if you want to work for yourself, have a flexible work/life balance, meet amazing mums and their babies, and work alongside other inspirational women, then training is the right move for you.’
If you are looking for a fun and flexible future, one where you can be your own boss and put your family first, then a Basking Babies business may just be the perfect opportunity for you. Download our prospectus today and get signed up for our October intake. We can’t wait to hear from you.
